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Converse, (pronounced kŏn'vûrs), is an American shoe company which has been making shoes since the early 20th century. Currently, Converse also produces a wide range of occupational safety shoes that resemble their regular athletic shoes.
1908–1941: The Early Days and Chuck Taylor
1941–Present: War, Bankruptcy, and New Management When America entered World War II in 1941, Converse shifted production to manufacturing footwear, apparel, boots, parkas, rubber protective suits, and ponchos for pilots and troops. Widely popular during the 1950s and 1960s, Converse lost much of its apparent near-monopoly from the 1970s onward, with the surge of new competitors such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok who introduced radical new designs to the market. Converse found themselves no longer the official shoe of the National Basketball Association, a title they had enjoyed for many, many years. This loss of market share, combined with poor business decisions forced Converse to file for bankruptcy on January 22, 2001. When the company subsequently changed hands that year, the last factory in the United States was closed. Thereafter, manufacturing for the American market was no longer performed in the United States, but instead in a number of Asian countries, including China, Indonesia and Vietnam. On July 9, 2003, the company accepted a $305 million purchase offer from rival Nike. From Rubber to an "All-Star" The Converse Shoe Company started as a rubber shoe company. The company then made a tennis shoe which grew in popularity. In 1917 the All-Star came into production, and after Chuck Taylor signed on they were referred to as the "Chuck Taylor" All Star basketball shoe. In 1966 Converse started adding color choices to the basic red and white Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe. Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe Also referred to as "Cons","Connies", "Chuckers", "Chucks", "Chuckie T's",' or "Chucker Boots"' for the higher styles, for decades the Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe only came in black or white. Under pressure from basketball teams it was decided in 1966 to manufacture other colors. Different materials started to appear also, such as leather, suede and vinyl, and even hemp, rather than just canvas. A low-top or "Oxford" and high-top versions, and later knee-high versions were produced. After Converse was bought by Nike and operations were moved from the United States to overseas, the design has had a few alterations. The fabric is no longer 2-ply cotton canvas but 1-ply "textile" and many wearers have noticed different patterns of wear. The original Chucks design had a tongue that always goes to the side when you walk and becomes very uncomfortable. The solution to this problem is to cut off the tongue. Popularity Despite the major setbacks for Converse in recent times, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star is the most successful shoe in history, and has enjoyed recent popularity thanks to a resurgence of old skool trends. By the turn of the 21st century, over 750 million pairs have been sold worldwide. They no longer seem to be worn by their original target market of basketballers (at least not in the professional sphere), but instead they are now marketed to the mainstream teenager. Some are so enthusiastic about the sneakers that they have a vast, ever-growing collection. They are also quite influential in pop-culture; Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars have been popular for decades in the American punk and indie rock scenes, and Hollywood has popularized Chucks in countless motion pictures. See also | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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